The Colorado Statesman examined Douglas County politics when looking at the three-way GOP primary to replace House Minority Leader Mike May, who is term limited.

“The contentious contest has erupted with snipes at the candidates and exposed an undercurrent of factions in the Douglas County GOP that some say pits a powerful ‘good old boy’ club against rank-and-file Republicans,” the Statesman writes.

The candidates are Parker mayor and school teacher David Casiano; Chris Holbert , former president of the Colorado Mortgage Lenders Association; and Polly Lawrence, a principle in Lawrence Construction Co.

Republicans and Democrats have seized on two editorials in The Denver Post, one dealing with the state budget crisis and the other the national deficit.

On Sunday, the Post editorial headline read, “How would you cut $1 billion? Given a huge deficit looming in 2011, Coloradans must decide what kind of government they want and how to pay for it.”

Today, the headline reads: “More spending not the answer/While the rest of the world is wisely addressing huge deficits, Obama wants to keep spending billions the U.S. doesn’t have.”

State Rep. Lois Court, D-Denver, in an e-mail newsletter to her constituents, asked them to read the editorial about the budget crisis and then let her know how they would cut $1 billion.

“To represent you well, I really do want to know what you value most, and what you value least. What ARE the essential services of State Government? What are you willing to do to make sure we have the funds necessary to pay for the services you want?”

Former President Bill Clinton, pictured here at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Rustenburg, South Africa, on Saturday, June 26, endorsed Andrew Romanoff over incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet on Tuesday. (Ian Walton, Getty Images)

Former President Bill Clinton endorsed Democratic grassroots underdog Senate hopeful Andrew Romanoff Tuesday, calling Colorado a better place because of his leadership in the state house.

In a letter that stunned politicos nationwide, Clinton outlined Romanoff’s state legislative accomplishments, including putting together an economic recovery plan and passing the largest investment into school construction in the state’s history. Romanoff is running against Democrat incumbent and White House pick Michael Bennet.

An e-mail that Bill Clinton sent to supporters of Andrew Romanoff, endorsing him for the Colorado U.S. Senate race. Click to view full e-mail. (Screenshot)

“Andrew brings to this race both an extraordinary record of public service and an extraordinary capacity to lead,” the two page letter reads. “I believe that those assets, as well as his deep commitment to Colorado, give him the best chance to hold this seat in November.”

The endorsement reintroduces 2-year-old fractions between President Obama’s camp and the Clinton establishment camp. Romanoff endorsed Hillary Clinton for president in 2008, and Bennet endorsed Obama. The president has thrown support behind Bennet, who was appointed to the seat by Gov. Bill Ritter when Ken Salazar was named Interior Secretary.

Ben Marter, Betsy Markey’s communication director, is officially the most famous political flak in the Colorado delegation – all on the strength of his recipe for spicy chicken stir-fry. Seriously.

Marter was profiled earlier this week on the Politico website under the headline “Ben Marter’s Home Cooked Weekend.” Turns out, Politico was enamored with his kitchen skills, noting:

On Friday night, at home with his girlfriend, Marter cooked up a spicy chicken stir-fry with broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms, green beans, peanuts and onions, and seasoned with with ginger and lemongrass.

“I recommend it,” he said.

Saturday morning, he took some of the leftover broccoli, onions and mushrooms, added jalapenos, and made omlettes for a zingy breakfast.

But the piece on Marter’s cooking exploits may say less about him and more about the state political journalism in Washington. To wit:

The Politico piece was picked up and referred to as “journo art” by gawker.com. That was followed in short order by Vanity Fair, which called it “yesterday afternoon’s most important piece of political journalism .”

After Bruce failed to appear before an administrative law judge, Denver District Judge Brian Whitney cited Bruce, who served one session as a Republican lawmaker, for contempt of court. Bruce had said he was out of town for at least part of the time the state was trying to serve him, but Whitney ruled there was enough evidence to show Bruce had been made aware of efforts to compel his testimony.

Bruce, who has called the proceedings against him a “lynching,” now must appear before Whitney on July 26 on the contempt citation.

To begin, whatever you think about his politics, one of the refreshing things about Ken Buck is his straightforwardness. In an interview or conversation with the Republican primary candidate for the Senate, he comes across as legitimate. You feel like he believes what he’s saying; at least, that’s been my experience and I haven’t yet heard any objective observer counter it.

That call-it-like-I-see-it quality comes through in this wide-ranging interview between Buck and the Colorado Statesman, conducted much earlier this month, but out today – and destined to make a little news.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.